22,795 Garden Web Discussions | Roses
Again thanks for all the comments. We (my wife) has decided to go with KO red and KO Sunny. The nurseryman will be here this morning to check the layout, test the soil etc. He informed us that a double Sunny is now available so we'll go with that and a double red. Sunny being pale to almost white should ease the appearance of 2 strong colors competing.
I misuunderstood about the KO Sunny. The nurseryman (Bill) said he inquired about double Sunny, not that they were available. Anyway he recommended 3 boxwoods in the corner with all red double KO at 5 foot intervals and 3 Sunny in front of the boxwoods. That's what we're going with. Again thanks, all the comments helped us to decide. I will post pix when the hedge is in full bloom
Native soil with top dressing. The more extensively you can loosen the soil (wide, not too deep) the better.
As amendments in the soil break down, that decomposition requires oxygen. Roots require oxygen, not just soil and water. If there is too much amendment decomposing, the roots are robbed of the oxygen they need. Loosening the soil creates tiny air pockets, and the roots can grow more easily (and have the oxygen they need).
Ideal soil has only 1-2% organic content!
I'm in 5B but I'll also vouch for Quietness. We had an exquisitely chilly winter and not one mm of die-back to show for it anywhere on my plant.
If I were shopping off your list I'd instantly grab Lambert Closse too...no experience, just one I like to dream about.
And have you thought about Morden Blush?
Cheers!
~Anika
It would help if you let us know which area of the country you're in. As MadGallica frequently reminds us, there's a difference between moist zone 5 areas like upstate New York and drier zone 5a like areas of southern Wisconsin, or here in Nebraska.
I've grown most of the roses you mention and I'll comment on each for my zone 5 winters. I do agree that in general the Rugosas are very hardy, and I've never ever lost an Easy Elegance rose - they're all tip hardy for me even in this miserable cold winter.
Lambert Closse
Austrian Copper
I haven't grown these two but they're a safe bet for hardiness in the zone 4/5 regions
J.P. Connell - little dieback over the winter so far, though it has taken a while to establish for me. I have it in my zone 4 pocket of the yard and it seems fine for hardiness, but I think it wants more sun than it has in that bed.
Hansa - in general, rugosas are a great bet and this one is highly scented, but I have to say it was a dog for me in my previous yard. A two cane wonder that only bloomed once then lost all its leaves to blackspot even in our dry climate with nothing else planted around it. I've had much better results from Therese Bugnet, or Linda Campbell among Rugosas.
Prairie Joy - grows big and hardy in my zone - droops over a 4' high fence surrounding it, but I don't think it has enough sun where I have it, and it doesn't bloom very often for me.
Quietness - lovely, reliable, hardy, saturated medium pink blooms. Not all Buck roses have been hardy for me, but this one laughs off my zone 4 pocket and reblooms pretty well.
Heaven on earth - you really want this rose. I'd put it among my top 10 favorites among 700 roses. It smells nice, with delicate apricot-pink blooms that are very double and profuse, laughs off the cold in my zone 4 pocket, and stays a nice well rounded 4-5' bush with blooms all down the sides
Pretty Jessica - this one grows fine in my yard and is perfectly hardy, but I haven't seen as much rebloom from this one as I hear reported elsewhere. Austins in general are terrifically hardy for me, and many of them get quite big, so this one is a good choice for a small Austin. Still, I'd pick Sharifa Asma or Tamora or Darcy Bussell or The Prince as a better small Austin that's nicely hardy.
Alchemist - haven't grown this one
Kashmir easy elegance - in general the Lim Easy Elegance line is absolutely the only rose breeder for whom I've never had any winter kill, with 15 varieties and counting. I haven't grown Kashmir among these yet, but its a sure bet. Another Lim to consider that I dearly love is Sweet Fragrance. Big fluffy true apricot/peach double blooms all up and down a 4-5' bush that bloom all summer. The only thing it doesn't have, oddly enough, is fragrance. Still, it's on the north side of my house, which is mostly zone 4 pocket too, and it does so well I put in three more of these (alternating with Music Box) and I almost never do duplicates of roses.
Freckles - I'm putting in a replacement of this one this spring, as I lost one of these over the summer. I wouldn't put this as the hardiest of the Buck roses- Mountain Music, Quietness, or Prairie Sunset/Sunrise have all done better for me.
Champlain - Champlain was my "gateway rose" at my old house that convinced me I could grow roses (had I only grown the Hansa I had on the other side of the house, I might never have planted another rose). It blooms pretty constantly all season, with dark crimson-pink blooms and nice glossy clean foliage. I did lose one once in my new house, with a weak cultivar from a local source, but my present one is strong and healthy. I had to cut it back a fair bit after last winter, but I had to do that for virtually everything but the Austins, Easy Elegance, Explorers, and rugosas (and even some of them), so that's nothing against Champlain. Individual blooms are not good for cutting, but the bush statement is very nice.
Hope this helps!
Cynthia
Here in Winston-Salem, I have a pink Aloha that I bought from Chamblee's last year and planted on a south wall next to my house. It was very small but gave me a few very pretty, sturdy blooms.
To my surprise, it has been one of the first to start leafing out this year with EXTREMELY glossy, healthy looking foliage. I can't wait to see what it does this year! I would recommend Aloha.
I took out my New Dawn last year.(not an easy task) It had a pretty spring bloom and then nothing…nada. It was such a monster I could not prune or control it.It got quite out of hand! I will miss the spring bloom, but it had to go. I would say Aloha might be a better choice. Good Luck. Lesley
I am fairly new to the forum but I have been looking at ways to add to my garden and I have noticed many people plant flowering vines behind their roses. I think maybe a short growing clematis would be pretty and give you some height behind the roses. It's a beautiful spot in your yard and I hope you post pics when you get it the way you want it. Good luck!
Maybe a few white lady banks climbers on the fence behind if that is what you are looking for.
If it was really me I would plant some thing that got some what taller than 5 ft. I would not like to look at the house or deck behind me or for them (deck) to be looking into my back yard. Just saying.
I haven't touched any of my roses yet, though I stare longingly at them on a nearly hourly basis. That winter protection is looking pretty mangy! Seil, your comment gives me strength to wait though. Well, your comment, and the nasty, half-frozen, half-quickmud state of the backyard...
I have one brilliance fern (grows both orange and green fronds) growing like gangbusters, no other signs of life. I'm gonna have to get more of those! This one is ahead of the forsythia and hellebores, even!
Back in CT we had huge numbers of oriental beetles which were often all black but I think there were blackish larger beetles which must have been the spring rose beetle. I'm sure they were outnumbered 100-1 by oriental beetles as were Japanese beetles so I didn't notice them that much. From all the descriptions I have seen however the spring rose beetle has color variation even when black so I still wouldn't be sure about the identification. The key would seem to be the size and look for a little greenish on the head and slight color differentiation resembling that of the JB.
Here is a link that might be useful: spring rose beetle
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing. I'm watching the buds on my rose plants grow and I can't wait until they bloom. Your post helps ease the wait.
Here is a link that might be useful: Rock and Roll
What a great thread! So much being said that I can relate to.I'm 81 and live on 2 1/2 acres. With the help of my daughter we have18 flower beds ranging in size from small 5X10 beds up to one of 5000 sq, ft. To save costs I originally bought a lot through mail order. Now, as I realize I never know how long I will be around, I buy larger plants so I can enjoy them now. We have over 100 different perennials and a lot of trees and shrubs. Sure, I have a few aches, but I'm too busy to worry about that. This has been such a long winter and things are really slow to get started. The daffodils aren't even showing yet. That is really late for them. Some of the tulips are up and buds are showing on some shrubs. Have most of my spring clean-up done Anxious to see how many plants we lost to the cold.
Thank you all for your comments about my "senior attitude" I was pleased that so many agreed with me regardless if you are a senior or not. The world is a crazy place now so i would like to tell congress stop making life more difficult and go plant roses!!! My barefoot roses in the containers are loaded with buds and several, Mardi Gras and French Lace are ready to open and share their color for us. I check up on them every morning when I have coffee with my dogs on the porch. Maggie and jake are 2 Shitz Zoe rescue dogs who know when I say "Lets go and check out the roses"--they both run to the door and shake their fluffy little tails and can't wait until we go out. (Could it possibly be they know there is a cookie waiting out there for them and it not the roses themselves that attract them?)
Living in a senior condo development built around a 40 year old golf course is not so bad. I get to garden the things that I want, like roses and nasturtiums, and not have to worry about who will mow the grass and clip the
shrubs.
I will take pictures of my lovely ladies when they are all blooming. I just have to figure how to add the pictures.
In my next post I will include the names of these newly planted lovelies. Most are floribundas.
I wish you all either a good planting week or at least a peaceful time checking out rose books and planning your garden so you will be ready when spring finally arrives in your area. Judith
Pictures? Always nice to have when asking a question, especially a close-up of the area with a problem.
I will have to send pics later. Cam is needing charge on batteries. Good idea